Democrats snub 21st Century Cures bill

Nine months after U.S. House Energy & Commerce Committee chairman Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) launched the 21st Century Cures initiative as a bipartisan effort, the committee released a National Institutes of Health."

Some provisions in the discussion draft are likely to be sticking points for Democrats, including proposals to exert more centralized control over NIH funding decisions by setting fixed, renewable four-year terms for institute directors, and making directors personally responsible for ensuring that the goals of every grant award are consistent with "a national priority and have public support." ...